Puzzling Case Of Mayor Candidates Who Aren't Rivals

ALVA JAMES-JOHNSON COMMENTARY

January 26, 2006|ALVA JAMES-JOHNSON COMMENTARY

I'm all for a woman standing by her man. How else will we keep marriages intact in this divorce-crazed society?

Thanks to the Hillary Clintons of the world, the old phrase "till death do us part" still has meaning. And I say: More power to any woman with the fortitude to stick with her spouse when faced with the threat of his public demise.

But Carolyn Marks, the first lady of Parkland, has taken this "one flesh" thing to another level, which has even me scratching my head.

Mrs. Marks, 64, is the wife of Parkland Mayor Robert Marks, 66, the focus of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. The probe centers on the mayor's business relationship with one of the city's largest developers. If charged, he could be removed from office. So Mrs. Marks is running for mayor, along with Mr. Marks, Commissioner Michael Udine and Marilyn Bonilla Krantz.

But the husband and wife aren't opponents.

"People are looking very much to destroy my husband's reputation," Mrs. Marks said from her Parkland home. "They're looking for some legal means to get him out of the race. If something happens to him, there needs to be someone to stand up for the people of Parkland and I would be their candidate."

The romantic in me says this is a political love story that can bring civility to politics. Where else could you find two candidates running for the same office with such camaraderie?

The cynic in me says this is a publicity stunt to draw attention away from the investigation. The Washington Post, CNN, and a Toronto radio station have already come calling, though Mrs. Marks says she's surprised by all the fuss.

But what really matters most is what this political strategy means to voters. And from the look of things, the mayor and his wife are just one candidate: The Markses.

They describe themselves as a team that has worked together to build their city.

"Go down any street in Parkland and look at what we've done," Mrs. Marks said. "We've brought in schools, a library and Parkland development. What you're seeing in Parkland is what we've worked on for 20 years."

When asked if she's running a separate campaign from her husband's, Mrs. Marks said she hasn't decided yet. She also didn't know if she'd join her husband and the other candidates in any election debates.

But she'll be at the mayor's campaign events as a wife, not a candidate.

"If all goes well on Election Day, I'll be there with a sign saying, `Carolyn Says Vote for Bob!'" she said, referring to her college sweetheart and husband of 42 years. "I want him to be mayor. He's the best candidate."

But what if you split the votes, and help one of your opponents win, I asked them.

"Am I concerned about splitting the vote? Yes. There is a concern, but Carolyn is her own person," the mayor said. Mrs. Marks said she didn't think it would be a problem.

And what if you're both in the race, and Mrs. Marks wins?

"Then she'll be mayor. I'll be the First Man, and I'll be supportive," the mayor said. "This is not The War of the RosesWe love and support each other."

Well, that's all fine and dandy for the two lovebirds. But what do the residents of Parkland think?

I wandered the streets of Parkland and found the voters split.

Some, like Gordon Black, 75, said the whole arrangement is a little too cozy for their liking.

"It's just like we got it now with [President] Bush and his father," Black said. "It's just too close. There's an old saying that a man and woman living together is tough, but when they work together, it's just no good."

But others were drawn to the romantic side of the debate and wished the Markses well.

"That's nice she's backing him up," said Jeff Schwartz, a waiter at Carlucci's restaurant on West Hillsboro Boulevard. "Marriage is a partnership ... May the best man or woman win."

Alva James-Johnson can be reached at ajjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4523.